to ask WWYD

[cjt110]

Your child has been waking up throughout the night, sometimes 3 times in the night. The child wakes up early. Am talking say 5am-6am hour. Do you:

a) get up with them and be exhausted for the rest of the day as it's the billionth time lately ; or
b) give them the tablet with a 2.5 hour "episode" of their favourite tv show in their bed and go back to bed for another 2 hours; or
c) A.Nother idea?

Discuss!

When my eldest was that young and woke very early at the weekend I'd just put our TV on and let them watch cartoons in our room. With dc2 I'd put their TV on until 8 and then take them down for breakfast. During the week I'd get up at 7 with them.

Now they're a bit older they can either put the TV on themselves or play quietly at the weekend, weekdays they have to be dragged out of bed for school.

No way would I be playing with them at 5 or 6am. I'd be trying to teach them that it's far too early to be up for the day. But then mine would be absolutely horrible by mid-afternoon if they'd been up before 6.30am.

DS2 was an early riser, no matter what we did or when he went to bed 5/5:30 was his wake up time. In the end I just went downstairs with him and he watched TV /DVDs while I dozed on sofa. Didn't get much dozing done as he kept wanting to share 'interesting' bits with me! Accepting it made it easier to bear, going to bed early myself kept me sane. And they do grow out of it. I honestly can't remember when he started sleeping later, maybe about age 3. It was hard hard work at the time but is a distant memory now. He is 11 now and needs prodding to get up in time for the school bus.

DS1 was exactly the same as many here, an early riser. A Thomas the tank engine DVD at 5.30 and one of us dozing on the sofa was the norm for around 6 months! We would put him on the sofa in a way that would wake us up if he started to get off and just drift back to sleep.
It was illness that started it off iirc by the way so if you're going to try and get your DC back into routine I would do it now and quickly. We pandered to it and entered the twighlight zone for a while!

Gate across the bedroom door and access to his toys to play till the family gets up. Ds was an early waker, he would play in his room and I got up about 6.30-7.00 anyway. Soon enough they grow and you can't get them up for love nor money.

At that age inwould

Sorry. That age is still a baby, I'd just play with them, watch tv, whatever and take it in turns for a lie in at the weekend.

I found the gro-clock to be a life saver when DS was like this. It worked a treat and we've retrained him to stay relatively quietly in his room until 7.00 now (at first 6.00 was a massive acheivement).

YABVU to give a 21m old a tablet at all, never mind for 2.5 hours unsupervised in his cot.

Either put him back in his bed to sleep or get up with him. He's 21m old. If you're exhausted and you know he will be up early, go to bed earlier yourself so you get more sleep.

D - get up with him then nap when he naps. I have a 23 month old who is the exact same, up a lot through the night then up 5-6am. It is hellish right enough :( hope he sleeps better soon.

Take child into bed with you.

TheSnowFairyHe's still in a cot so can't get out of his room. And can't access the tv alone. As for dropping the naps - he's not ready. He is like a little monster if he doesnt have a nap.

Yes, because he's awake at 5 and has woken frequently through the night!